Colin Farrell Still Hopes SGT. ROCK Gets Made and Pushes Back on James Gunn’s Script Criticism
Colin Farrell isn’t quite ready to let go of Sgt. Rock, even if DC Studios already has. The long-developing war movie was officially shelved earlier this year, but Farrell’s recent comments suggest he still believes the project deserves to see the light of day, and his praise for the script directly contradicts James Gunn’s not-so-flattering take on it.
Back in May, word broke that DC Studios had pulled the plug on Sgt. Rock, a film that was once expected to start production in 2026 under Luca Guadagnino’s direction. The filmmaker, known for Call Me By Your Name and Bones and All, quickly moved on to another project, Artificial, leaving fans wondering what went wrong.
Behind the scenes, there were reportedly several factors including Guadagnino’s limited experience with large-scale blockbusters, unpredictable UK weather where the shoot was planned, and DC’s growing reputation for cost-cutting under James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Early talks had centered on Daniel Craig taking the lead, but when the studio pivoted to Farrell, some speculated it was simply a matter of budget.
During a new interview on The Happy Sad Confused podcast, Farrell shared his thoughts on where things stand:
“God, that was a fantastic script. I wonder what's happening with it.”
When asked about whether he’d stay involved without Guadagnino attached, he said:
“I know nothing about it, brother. I was going to do it with Luca. We spoke about it a couple of times and had some really nice chats. I have no idea where it is now, but it should be made. It's really, really good. There's some wonderful stuff in it.”
That’s a glowing endorsement, and it’s one that doesn’t line up with Gunn’s own assessment. The DC Studios co-CEO previously shared a much bleaker view of the screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes, saying:
“Even after a third draft, Sgt. Rock just wasn’t changing and wasn’t getting better. It was staying in the same place. And I said, ‘We can’t make this film. We can’t. It’s not good.
“We know it’s not good.’ Just because we have a good director attached and a good screenwriter, it doesn’t mean the script is working.”
Gunn went on to explain why he ultimately killed the project:
“Everyone is going to be upset at the end of this. It’s going to come out, the movie’s not going to be good. The director’s going to look bad, the screenwriter’s going to look bad, and we’re going to look bad. So I don’t want to have this. We’re not going to make the movie. And so we killed it.”
Farrell’s comments make it clear that he doesn’t share that sentiment. While he’s no longer involved with the film, his enthusiasm for the story, which would’ve followed Sgt. Rock, Mademoiselle Marie, and the Easy Company battling Nazis to recover the legendary Spear of Destiny, shows there was something about the project that connected with him.
As of now, Sgt. Rock is not moving forward. It was once slated to join Supergirl and Clayface as part of DC’s 2026 slate, but it seems destined to remain in development limbo, at least for the moment.
Whether Sgt. Rock ever gets another chance remains to be seen, but hearing Farrell still championing it, even after DC’s leadership buried it, makes you wonder if there’s still a spark worth reigniting in the trenches.